


mostly sweet with a few nuts

by possibilityleft



Category: Lilo & Stitch (2002)
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon, Sister-Sister Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:48:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26556865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/possibilityleft/pseuds/possibilityleft
Summary: The first time Lilo tried to use Stitch as a threat was exactly one week after the other aliens moved in.
Relationships: Lilo Pelekai & Nani Pelekai, Lilo Pelekai & Stitch | Experiment 626
Comments: 10
Kudos: 21
Collections: 2020 Disney Animated Movie Exchange (DAM Exchange)





	mostly sweet with a few nuts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [silveradept](https://archiveofourown.org/users/silveradept/gifts).



The first time Lilo tried to use Stitch as a threat was exactly one week after the other aliens moved in. It had been a difficult week. Jumbo blew up their only toilet on the second day and Nani didn't want to trust her butt on the thing he rigged up to replace it. Then there'd been Pleakley trying to start a mosquito colony in the rain barrel by the garage. And then David trying to fix the toilet, which had only made it worse somehow, although she appreciated that he'd tried.

The fight wasn't about the toilet, or the mess in the kitchen, or anything like that. Lilo enjoyed the chaos, but she hadn't actually caused most of it. This fight had started because Nani told Lilo to go to bed so she could get up for school tomorrow, and Lilo wanted to stay up and watch the alien soap operas that were now available on channels that they definitely weren't paying for. Lilo's bottom lip trembled and her eyes widened, and Nani's shoulders and back tightened painfully in old familiar tension.

"Stitch says I can stay up and he's the boss. He can beat anyone up," Lilo said. She crossed her arms, her legs dangling off the arm of the couch. (It was the only part of the couch that was available when Jumba was sitting on it, and even though he wasn't at the moment, she liked the perch.) 

Stitch hadn't been invested in the discussion until Lilo said his name. He'd been on the floor at her feet, focused on the screen. He looked up at Lilo, and then at Nani, and his hackles began to rise.

"I say what?" he asked.

Nani should have known this was coming. She had allowed her sister to keep a pet that she'd thought was dangerous _before_ she knew that he was a nearly invincible alien weapon. Lilo had been stubborn before. Now she'd given her sister what amounted to an animal-shaped loaded weapon to argue with. The tension pooled in the small of her back, and before she could stop herself, she stretched back and pressed her forearm into the muscle, sighing loudly.

"It doesn't matter what Stitch says because it's his bedtime too," she said, trying sternness, knowing it was unlikely to work.

"Awwww!" Stitch complained, but he got up and stretched. Nani thanked all the powers that were. She even thanked Pudge the fish.

"No! Not yet! It's just getting good!" Lilo yelled, and Nani saw Stitch grimacing. She knew he could turn on a dime. She'd seen it. She never wanted to see it again. But if she let Lilo win now, she'd never win again. (She shouldn't be thinking of parenting as something she could win. She knew Cobra would have eyeballed her for that. But sometimes, you needed a win to keep going.)

"Come on," she said, reaching down to grab Stitch's paw, reaching out for Lilo's hand. Lilo pulled back. Stitch's paw escaped her grasp. Nani looked down and saw him reaching for Lilo too.

"Come," he said, yawning. He pressed his head against Nani's calf a little, like a friendly cat.

"Stitch, tell her we can stay up," Lilo said, but she took his offered paw and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

"I ask Jumba to record," he said. "Watch tomorrow."

"Fine," Lilo grumbled, and Nani was able to herd them to bed. She read The Ugly Duckling for the zillionth time, even though Lilo could read herself and Nani was pretty sure Stitch could too.

"We have dance tomorrow," Lilo said, sleepy despite herself.

"I know," Stitch said.

"I know," Nani said, making a mental note to be sure David was picking them up after; she had an afternoon shift.

"But then I'm staying up all night to see if Snortflag confesses their love for Niknork," Lilo said stubbornly.

Stitch mumbled something Nani didn't quite understand, but Lilo nodded firmly in response.

"We'll see. Good night," Nani said, shutting off the light and ignoring Lilo's dramatic sigh. She shut the door behind her and leaned on it, pulling her phone from her pocket.

 _Feel like I have two kids now_ , she texted to David.

 _And two alien uncles? :)_ he texted back.

Nani didn't even want to think about that right now. She was calling Cobra first thing in the morning to see if he could pull some strings and get them lodgings elsewhere.

 _You're much better backup_ , she responded, heading back downstairs. She needed to pack lunches and figure out where bathroom repairs could fit into their tight finances.

And maybe she spent an hour watching an alien version of _The Kardashians_ , but she felt like she earned the break.


End file.
